


most noble

by bleedinqhearts



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, Knight AU, a hint of mutual pining, a lil periodic dialogue, i wanted just a dash of realism but then i realized i’m too dumb to write classic-esque dialogue, requited love but neither of y’all realize it, royal au, take these pitiful scraps and do what u will with em, there’s like no discernible plot to this, u have to read it bc the word count is pleasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28280469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedinqhearts/pseuds/bleedinqhearts
Summary: to die for your hand, he thinks, is an honorable death as any.
Relationships: Sakusa Kiyoomi/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	most noble

_ It’s a shame _ , Kiyoomi Sakusa finds himself thinking bitterly,  _ that having tact on the battlefield is rather different than having tact in conversations.  _

Because while Kiyoomi is a rather prized strategist for the official Royal Guard, he often finds himself lacking the skill set required in order to properly converse with someone of your royal caliber.

(Then again, people like him are taught how to hold silver swords. People like you are taught how to speak with a silver tongue.)

The words just slipped out of his mouth on instinct. 

_ “You can’t!” _

Kiyoomi may have a blunt manner of speaking. You may be comfortable enough with him that you request all formalities to be dropped when the two of you are alone together. You might have even referred to him as your closest, dearest companion. But no matter how comfortable, how  _ close _ , the two of you are, Kiyoomi Sakusa is certainly in no position to tell you what to do. At the end of the day, he is nothing more than a knight. A good one, at that, but still, someone with common blood. 

Someone _replaceable_.

You, on the other hand, are the only child of the King and Queen. He’s made a vow to put down his life in favor of protecting yours, but even then, he knows that those words are an injustice to  _ you _ . In no world is his life equivalent to yours. He knows his place, and yet, he still said it.

_ You can’t.  _

You lock eyes with him, but your stare isn’t cold. Your eyes are glossy; a trick of the light, or a sign of unshed tears?

If it is the former, his heart aches for no reason other than his own foolishness. If it is the latter, he will beg on his knees for forgiveness for ever upsetting you to the point of tears.

You see, on the battlefield, Kiyoomi Sakusa is not the type of person who retreats. He doesn’t believe in running away, rather, he opts to run  _ towards _ . Constantly marching ahead, striking at his opponents with a rather surprising ferocity. He’s fought men twice his size with strength that appeared to be nearly inhuman, and the thought of  _ retreating  _ has never once crossed his mind. But now he finds himself trying to backtrack, trying to take back the words he just carelessly ( _ carelessly _ — not  _ thoughtlessly _ ; as a matter of fact, he’s been thinking  _ too much  _ when it comes to matters concerning you) tossed to you. Before he can, though, you’re already speaking.

“Unfortunately, my fate is to be sealed by anyone who is not me.” You lean back on the ornate chair located in the corner of your room. 

“I misspoke, My Lady. Do forgive me.” When Kiyoomi places his hand on his heart, he can feel it thumping against his palm. The difference between Kiyoomi and the other knights you’ve met with is that when he bows, Kiyoomi’s eyes never leave yours. Where he’s originally from, it’s considered a sign of respect to constantly watch those superior to you. Even though you’re sure he knows by now, in your culture, only those who share close bonds with each other should be indulging in activities as intimate as eye contact.

(What you’re not sure about, though, is if he knows that whether he’s acting according to the rules of his previous kingdom or yours, that it’s perfectly acceptable for him to do this.) 

You gesture for him to stand up. “You know I hate when you use formalities in private.” 

“I still must apologize for my outburst.”

“I don’t mind.” You admit, softly. “But if I don’t accept this marriage proposal, what reason would I possibly give that wouldn’t spark a war? It would be one thing if I already had a lover. That would be deemed acceptable. But denying him purely because I’m not ready to wed… That would be rather unbecoming.” You sigh, resting the side of your temple against your hand. 

“I just…” He has to choose his words wisely, otherwise he would be giving himself away. In all the years he’s known you, you’ve never shown a sliver of interest in any potential suitors. A dangerous, hopeful thought has been planted in his head a long time ago. A thought that tells him that perhaps  _ he’s  _ the reason for why you haven’t taken a lover. “I don’t want you to be forced to do anything you would not like.” 

“You’re too sweet. And here I wrongfully assumed all knights were just brazen brutes.”

“You underestimate us, then.” If he hadn’t been trained to never show his emotions, there’s no doubt in his mind that a smile would be gracing his lips as he slipped back into familiar territory with you. In a world where the wrong words spoken to the wrong person could result in a blood feud, you’ve never been able to indulge in banter with anyone else but him. Teasing him has become your favorite pastime, and Kiyoomi’s a rather good sport and an even better opponent.

“They underestimate you.” And there is no teasing laced in your words, no smile gracing your lips. Instead, you’re staring at him sadly. The sudden shift in the atmosphere is jarring. 

“Pardon?” 

“I don’t care for class. You must know this by now.”

He does know this. 

(He does know  _ you _ .)

“And I really want to be wedded by someone who I truly love, not just merely tolerate.” You’re speaking faster now, almost like you’re scared that if you don’t get out what you want to say, you’ll lose the courage to speak your mind. “But the Court won’t have it. Even my parents won’t side with me.”

“Their Majesties want what is best for you.” Kiyoomi is allowed more freedom of speech than the regular knight, but even he wouldn’t dare to speak ill against your parents, especially in front of you.

“Mother and Father merely want what is best for the  _ kingdom _ .” You spit out, with none of the poise and grace you’ve been taught to maintain. “And to all of them, a beneficial alliance is worth more than my  _ happiness _ .”

“Perhaps they just need more convincing.” 

You roll your eyes at that statement. A half-hearted sentiment that even  _ he  _ doesn’t believe in. After all, the will of the King and Queen is the law of this land. If they want to see you marry a foreign prince in the hope of securing a strong alliance, you will be married to a foreign prince. It’s a fact that the two of you are all too well aware of. 

But still. There’s a fire in you that doesn’t fit with the image of the perfect, placid princess you’re supposed to be.

(Kiyoomi’s always admired this about you.)

“There’s still hope yet.” You add with a sigh. “But it’s a rather outdated tradition. It’d be unusual, and it’d be the last resort, too.”

“Yes?”

“A competition.” 

“I don’t know what you’re speaking of.”

“A duel. Nobody would dare risk their lives just for the possibility to be wed to me. It’s not a permanent solution, by any means, but it would at least give me some time to think of something else.” 

“You think too lowly of yourself.” Kiyoomi says, daring to take a step closer to where you’re seated. “I’m sure many men would consider dying for your hand as an honorable way to leave.”

“You flatter me.”

“I only ever speak the truth.”

“You only ever speak your  _ mind _ . It’s arrogant to do that and then parade around, claiming that what you believe is fact when it is not.” 

“Then I suppose I just flatter myself.” He muses, taking your jab all in good stride. You could take his sword from him and stab him in the heart, he thinks, and he would still take it well. 

“It wouldn’t be a competition open only for royalty.” You add, and now you truly have forced Kiyoomi into supporting this outlandish idea. 

“You would let anyone join?”

“I would.”

“I’m rather good at duels.” 

“I know.” You say this with a smile, like he has told you something you’ve been yearning to hear since the start of this conversation. 

“And you would be fine if I chose to compete?”

How are you supposed to tell him that that’s the only outcome you want? 

“Unlike me, you control your own fate. I just want to know how confident you are with your skills.”

He scoffs, almost as if you’ve offended him. Kiyoomi Sakusa is not the youngest member of the Royal Guard for no reason. You think your parents would allow someone weak to be in charge of protecting their dearest daughter, the kingdom’s dearest princess? 

You laugh at his reaction. “I only said that because I don’t want you to be one of those men who will die for my hand, even if you do think it to be honorable. I want you to stay with me.”

“I will. I will stay with you as long as you want.”

“Forever, then.” You raise an eyebrow, as if daring him to take back that promise. “I want you to stay with me forever. Do you still want to keep that vow?”

There’s not a single second of hesitation on his end. 

“My answer remains unchanged. I will stay with you as long as you want.” Kiyoomi stands tall and proud, and the only thing you can think about is how just moments ago he told you he only speaks the truth. 

This time, you choose to believe him.


End file.
